The Hindu Business Line : Nilgiris potato crop hit by rains

INCESSANT rains this season have caused extensive damage to the potato crop. Growers in Nanjanad, a predominant potato-growing region in the Nilgiris, have estimated the damage at over 60 per cent.

"The crop is in the harvesting stage. Because of the continuous rain, we cannot expect good bulking and the yield levels are also expected to drop," says Mr Krishnamurthy, a potato farmer.

Growers expect the yield to slip to less than eight tonnes an acre against the usual 10 tonnes.

The market, meanwhile, has started to respond anticipating a supply shortfall. Trade sources said the rates had started to look up (in the Mettupalayam market) - between Rs 350 and Rs 450 a bag (of 45 kg). The price usually ranges between Rs 300 and Rs 350 around this time every year.

Growers have not ruled the outbreak of late blight disease (LBD) when the climate turns mild. And this is despite the release of LBD resistant varieties.

When contacted, the Principal Scientist at the Central Potato Research Station, Coonoor, Mr Krishnaprasad, said the grower would have to apply at least three to four sprays even on the disease-resistant varieties to manage the outbreak.

According to him, the current yield is satisfactory, but the disadvantage is in not being able to harvest the produce.

The research station recently introduced a variety - Kufri Girirraj - for adaptive research trials in farmers' fields. "This variety is resistant to both the Potato Sys Nematode and the LBD. It has the advantages of a hybrid. We are hoping this variety would reach the farmers' fields within one or two years. The grower will be able to harvest up to 12 tonnes/acre," he told Business Line.

Field trails are being carried out in five locations at Fernhill, Nanjanad, Indunagar, Mynala and Gandhipet in the Nilgiris.

To a query on seed availability, Mr Krishnaprasad conceded that it continued to haunt the growers. "Punjab is a seed potato belt. It is from there that the seed potato gets distributed to Peninsular India through the Mettupalayam market and from Kolar in Karnataka."

An area of 4,000 to 4,500 hectares is under potato cultivation in the Nilgiris. Seed potato cultivation takes place in about 75 per cent of this area. The seed potato requirement is said to be of the order of 100 to 120 tonnes.

When asked about genetically-modified potato, he said: "We do have the GM potato for protein and amilo protein, and research work is on at the Central Research Station in Uttar Pradesh. Here, in the Nilgiris, we are keen to introduce varieties that are resistant to virus, LBD and nematode."

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